


This is How

by Nights_Demon



Series: Non-Verbal Virgil [1]
Category: Sanders Sides, Sanders Sides (Video Blogging RPF) - Fandom, Thomas Sanders
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mention of an anxiety attack, Platonic Moxiety, i still can't tag to save my life, super ooc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-03-02
Packaged: 2019-03-23 22:12:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13797405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nights_Demon/pseuds/Nights_Demon
Summary: This is how your story is unfolding.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is soooo OOC, but Virgil here is basically me after an anxiety attack. The song Patton listens to is one of my all time favourites and it really helps me calm down when I need it.
> 
> (I had one of my attacks last night and I found this really therapeutic to write)
> 
> Warnings: Mention of an anxiety attack, if you squint you could probably infer a self-harm mention but that is NOT the way I intended it
> 
> Hurt/comfort
> 
> Platonic Moxiety

This is how your story is unfolding  
Try to grab a hold and slow it down  
Here and now the sun is also rising  
Day in and out, it offers no relief  
I find my voice and sing it from the rooftops  
Stand up tall and slowly take a bow  
This is how

 

“Virgil? Kiddo?” A hesitant knock at his door.

Virgil sighs and looks up from his laptop. Of course Patton would come to check on him after he didn’t show up for lunch.

He runs his fingers through his hair, his other arm still holding his knees close to his chest.

“I’m still alive, Pat,” he manages to say. Talking is always hard after one of his episodes.

“Can I come in?”

The anxious side sighs again. No, he really isn’t up for human – or sort-of-human – interaction, but he doesn’t want Patton to worry about him. Worrying is his job, after all.

“Yeah,” he croaks.

Patton opens the door and immediately makes his way over to where Virgil is curled in on himself on his bed.

“Virge, I’m not going to ask if you’re okay, ‘cause I can see you’re obviously not. Did you have another attack?” the fatherly trait keeps his voice quiet and calm, years of experience reminding him how easily a second attack could be triggered.

Virgil nods, unable to form words, but knowing Patton understands why.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Patton asks gently.

Virgil nods and begins signing what happened.

Patton nods and throws in a couple of comments here and there, but mostly just lets Virgil get his thoughts out. 

So really it was just a lot of little things that got too much, the anxious side concludes.

“Are you feeling better now?”

Virgil shrugs. Sort of.

Patton nods wordlessly and wraps an arm around the fellow side, Virgil leaning into the reassuring touch.

“I really should start making dinner,” Patton says after a couple of minutes of comfortable silence.

Virgil nods and pulls away from the moral side.

“Did you want to come downstairs with me?” Patton asks hesitantly. He knows how much Virgil hates interaction after an attack, but he didn’t want to leave the anxious side on his own. 

Virgil considers the offer for a few moments before standing up and grabbing a small pencil case and one of the colouring books Patton gave him.

Patton follows Virgil down the stairs and sends a quick text to the other two simply saying  
Virgil’s non-verbal.

Two message tones in quick succession inform him they’ve read the message and responded.

Logan  
Affirmative.

Roman  
Thanks for the heads up.

Virgil sits in his usual place at the table and starts colouring.

Patton finds his favourite Spotify playlist and turns it on a low volume for background noise as he starts looking in the fridge for inspiration for dinner.

 

Fifteen minutes later, he hears Virgil click his fingers twice – his signal for Patton’s attention.

What’s this song? Virgil signs once Patton looks at him.

“It’s called This is How by a band called Louden Swain,” Patton replies, “Strange name, I know, but they have some great music.”

Virgil nods and goes back to his colouring.

 

Patton smiles but isn’t too surprised when he goes to set the table to see that Virgil had written some of the lyrics at the top of his current work-in-progress.

This is how your story’s unfolding


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't intend to write more, but I'm finding it an incredibly relaxing plot to write.
> 
> I have plans for other short one shots during the times Virgil is non-verbal, but we'll see how the inspiration strikes me.

Roman all but skipped through the front door that evening, humming a tune Virgil recognised as his favourite song from Hamilton, Hurricane.

“Hey Virgil, Patton,” the prince greeted the pair.

Virgil looked up and waved at him as he started to move his colouring book and pencil case out of the moral side’s way to set the table for dinner.

“Hey Roman, how was your afternoon?” Patton asked.

“Fantastic!” Roman exclaimed. Seeing Virgil flinch at the sudden noise, he lowered his volume considerably before continuing, “I have all sorts of new ideas for Thomas’ videos. How were yours?”

Virgil snapped twice and signed with as much sarcasm as he possibly could, just terrific, I had another attack.

Roman nodded, “So it’s a dark Disney kind of night tonight?”

Virgil nodded. If Dad’s okay with that, he added.

Patton inwardly squealed at Virgil’s name for him when he was signing. It started out as a joke when Virgil was first learning signing, mainly as a shorter way to refer to the moral side, but the nickname stuck and Patton loved it.

“Of course, Kiddo. Whatever you want to watch,” he replied, “Do you want to go drag Logan away from his laptop for me?”

Virgil nodded once and headed up to the logical side’s room. He knocked on the open door twice and Logan turned to see who it was.

Dinner’s ready, he signed, Dad wanted me to get you.

“Thank you, Virgil,” Logan acknowledged, signing his response as he spoke – a habit he’d picked up early on to help teach Virgil signs and he continued doing so with the excuse there were always new signs for them to learn. 

Logan had been the one to suggest Virgil and the other sides learn signing for Virgil’s non-verbal times after he noticed how frustrated the anxious side got having to write everything out, especially during an episode when he was often shaking too much to write legibly. 

They had started out learning American Sign Language, but it turned into more of their own version when Virgil started adding in body language to convey simple ideas and started making up signs when he couldn’t remember the ones he needed. While it annoyed Logan at first, the important thing in his eyes was that Virgil was able to communicate with the others and be understood.

While he would deny it vehemently if ever asked, he signed while he spoke so Virgil didn’t feel even more like the odd one out.

 

Dinner passed uneventfully and Roman and Logan agreed to do the dishes since Patton had cooked.

“How about you and I pick out a movie, Virge?” Patton suggested gently.

Virgil smiled slightly and nodded his agreement.

He decided on Lilo and Stitch 2 and set it up while Roman and Logan had a small water fight in the kitchen.

When the two damp sides joined him and Patton on the couch, he stood up in front of them so they could all see him sign easily.

I know I say it a lot, he started, signs short and hesitant, but I want to say thanks for you all putting up with me and my no talking stages.

“Virge-”Patton began, but Virgil held up a hand to stop him.

I know I’m not always easy to relate to, but the effort you all put into trying means a lot, he continued.

“We all have flaws, Virgil, but we have to work as a team. It’s no trouble really,” Logan replied, signing as he spoke again.

“You make us stronger Virgil,” Roman added, “Learning a few hand motions so you can convey your thoughts to us is nothing.”

“What they said, Kiddo,” Patton agreed, “You’re our family.”

Virgil smiled and signed family before spelling out I L Y.

“I love you too,” Patton squealed, grinning and jumping up to give the anxious side a hug.

Roman joined the pair, followed shyly by Logan.

“Well, now that we have the feelings portion of the night out of the way, can we watch the movie?” Logan asked, drawing back from the group hug after a minute.

The other three laughed and sat back down on the couch, Virgil sandwiched between Roman and Patton, Logan keeping a reasonable distance between himself and the moral side, still pretending to be allergic to feelings.

Roman smirked when Logan moved over closer to Patton halfway through the movie, but said nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi to me on tumblr - @guardian-of-the-bears

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr - @guardian-of-the-bears


End file.
